Waverly Community House to hold art classes for young children

WAVERLY — The Waverly Community House, 1115 N. Abington Road, will continue to offer art classes for young children this fall. Instructor Alexandra MacNamara-Austein will teach two classes beginning Wednesday, Oct. 28.

Tots and Toddlers Paper Crafts and Collage is a six-week class that utilizes paper arts to introduce very young children to artistic elements such as shape, color and composition with fun projects relevant to seasons, holidays, stories and more. Methods of folding, tearing and pasting will be taught over a period of six weeks, allowing children to begin the exploration of their creative abilities and expand their imaginations. Parents and caregivers can select from two sessions offered each week.

The first classes will be held from from 10:30 to 11:15 a.m. Wednesdays, beginning Oct. 28. The second classes are offered during the same time slot on Fridays, beginning Oct. 30. The fee is $60 per six-week session and includes materials.

For children ages 7 and older, “Foundation Drawing and Painting” explores the fundamental elements of art such as color, form, shape, value and texture. Children will learn how to draw and paint from a still life, gesture poses and more experimental games and projects, aimed to hone and fine tune any skill level. The ultimate goal of this class is to train each student’s eye to draw and paint what they see rather than what they know or think they should see, ultimately bridging the gap between three-dimensional objects and two-dimensional renderings.

“Foundation Drawing and Painting” is held from 3:45 to 4:45 p.m. Thursdays, beginning Oct. 29. The fee for this class is $60, which includes materials.

MacNamara-Austein is a ceramic artist with extensive training in printmaking and sculpture. She has a BFA from the School of Visual Arts as well as a Master’s degree in Art Business from the Sotheby’s Institute of Art. She has shown and sold her ceramic sculptures and vessels professionally in New York City and Pennsylvania. She is an artist-in-residence for NEUI Chapter 19 and has been teaching children’s art classes since she returned to Pennsylvania from New York City.

For more information on children’s programs at the Comm, call 570-586-8191 or visit waverlycomm.org.